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Children in the Abim District of Karamoja, northern Uganda, are vulnerable to diseases caused by poor sanitation and hygiene conditions in their schools. Medair is seeking funding for a latrine construction and hygiene promotion project in six schools in the Nyakwae sub-county, which will dramatically improve conditions that currently place many children at risk.

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Categories

  • Disaster Relief Disaster Relief
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Poverty Alleviation/Relief Poverty Alleviation/​Relief
  • Beneficiaries

    • Children (3-18) Children (3-18)
    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)

    Situation

    The Need Poor Sanitation Threatens the Health and Education of Children Life in Karamoja is harsh. Persistent tribal conflicts and chronic underdevelopment have left the population extremely vulnerable to disease and malnutrition with very limited capacity to respond. Abim, one of the five districts in Karamoja region, has been affected both by massive displacements of people from Acholiland, and insecurity due to cattle raids from Karamojong warriors. A recent needs assessment done by OCHA (UN) and Medair identified Nyakwae as the most insecure and neglected sub-county within Abim district. Sanitation facilities in 80 percent of surveyed schools are in a very poor state of repair. Most latrines are full, or have broken doors, windows, or walls. In Nyakwae, two out of the six functioning schools have no latrines at all. A third school (with an enrolment of 612 pupils) has two latrines, but one of them is full and the other is an emergency latrine that is about to collapse. None of the schools have hand-washing facilities and school sanitation committees are not active. With such poor sanitation facilities, schools like these jeopardise the health of their students and place them at risk of contracting deadly diseases. Furthermore, where no or limited latrines exist, students – particularly girls – may choose not to attend school at all rather than going into the bush and facing the risk of attack. Our Response Restore Sanitation and Hygiene to Schools in Nyakwae Medair will construct latrines in three schools and rehabilitate the existing latrines in the other three schools of Nyakwae subcounty. The work will prioritise schools with no working facilities, as that has a direct impact on attendance, especially for girls during their menstrual cycle. Local sanitation committees will also be established and trained to ensure the ongoing maintenance and cleanliness of the new latrines. Furthermore, Medair will support and augment classroom training in best hygiene practices, including latrine use and hand-washing. Games, songs, drama, leaflets, and posters will all be used to help promote the hygiene messages. With Your Support Children living and attending schools in Nyakwae sub-county will have access to functional and clean sanitation facilities and they will learn about the importance of proper hygiene. School sanitation committees will have an increased capacity to maintain the facilities by conducting minor latrine repair, refilling the hand-washing facilities, and ensuring that soap is provided at all times. These simple steps will have an enormous impact on the lives of these schoolchildren. The latrine project will shield them against waterborne diseases, teach them good hygiene practices that can last a lifetime, and in the process, improve their access to an education that can lead to long-term improvement in the quality of their lives. The total budget for this project is US$ 168,000. Most of this amount has already been granted by governmental humanitarian aid organisations, but we are still seeking private support in the amount of US$ 17,000. This level of private support will enable us to meet our total budget target and undertake this project to improve sanitation and hygiene for schoolchildren in Uganda’s troubled Karamoja region.

    Solution

    100%
    Categories

  • Disaster Relief Disaster Relief
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Poverty Alleviation/Relief Poverty Alleviation/​Relief
  • Beneficiaries

    • Children (3-18) Children (3-18)
    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)